Combined heat exchange system and auxiliary power plant for internal-combustion engines



Jan. 8, 1952 c. H. BLOCK 2,581,747

CQMBINED HEAT EXCHANGE SYSTEM AND AUXILIARY POWER PLANT FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept. 18, 1950 INVENTOR.

QarZ/Zfiloai Patented Jan. 8, 1 952 UNITED STATES COMBINED HEAT EXCHANGE SYSTEM AND AUXILIARY POWER PLANT FOR INTER+. ,NAL-COMBUSTIQN ENGINES Carl H. Block, Peoria Heights, 111.- Application September 18, 1950, Serial No. 185,436

Claims. (Cl. 123"142.5)'

In recent years, the Arctic regions of the iworld have come into considerable prominence from the point of view of military strategy. Pursuant'to this point of view various military posts have been established in the'Arct-ic regions and many maneuvers carried out for the testing of troops and their equipment against the unusual conditions prevailing there.

Among the more formidable obstacles encoun-' tered in Arctic regions is'the effect of its extreme cold upon various mechanical machines and equipment. Ordinary devices adapted to'func-' tion in temperate climates are found to operate very inefliciently or'n'ot at all under conditions of the extreme low temperatures. One of. the most important failures'in this respect'is in'con nection with internal combustion engines used by a large varietyof equipment including, tractors, airplanes, tanks, tank destroyers,b'ul1- dozers and other powered equipment.

Two particularly serious problems exist in con-' system and the atmosphere and also between the exhaust gases and the atmosphere.

One of the general objects of the present 'invention is'the provision of means for'utilizing the waste heat of engines operatin in Arctic climates or extremely coldtemperatures to develop auxiliary power. j

Another object is the provision of means for warming a cold motor in such cold climates so that it may be readily started.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a reversible heat exchange system'which'; when operated in one way; will cause the engine to become warm and, when operated in another way, will utilize the waste heat for conversion to useful work.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the followin description considered together with the accompanying drawing which is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of elements of an embodiment of this invention in relation. to an ordinary type of liquid cooled combustion engine.

'Referring'with more particularity-to the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts, the numeral II designates the block of a liquid cooled engine and I2 its exhaust manifold. Within said manifold, a tubular coil I3 is disposed, the upper end of which is connected 'to a vertical boiler I4 through pipes I5 and I6. The boiler I4 is of the fire'tube type. Hot gases from the furnace box I! at the bottom may be supplied by any suitable means, such as torches.

The hot gases pass upward through the tubes I8 and out throughfthe lstack'lll. A heat ex change fl'uid 20 is inlth boiler around the tubes I8 and, therefore, receives heatrrom' the tubes when hot gases pass through them. Suitable'he'at exchange fluids include methyl chloride,'arnnio". nia, sulfur dioxide, 'iso-butane and fiuorinated compounds or the Freon family, such as Freon 1'2, Freon 21, Freon 22,'Freon l1,Fron 111, Freon 112 andFreon 113. f. The other end of the coil I3 is connectedto'a reversible heat exchange unit comprising a tank 2I containing a number of vertical tubes 221" The tubes are connected at the top and bottom to 'a head'plate 23 and a crown plate 24;res'pectively,i spaced from'the top 25ajn'd bottom 26 of'thev tank. The'coil I3 is connectedto'the interi'o'rbf the tank 2I by means o'f a -pipe'21'enteriri gjust' below the head'plate23; The topf25'ofthe' tank is connected to the'outlet o'f'a centrifugal pump 28 by means of a pipe 29. The inlet of the pump 28 is connected to a point in the cooling system of the engine by a pipe 30. The bottom 26 of the tank is connected'to'another point in the cooling system through-a pipe 3|. By "these means, liquid from the'co'oling jacket'of theen gine may be made to pass through the'tubes 22 of the tank, pick up heat at this point and return to the engine jacket. Heat is furnished'by the vapors of the gas from the boiler, when it is" desired to heat the engine before starting it. Gases condensing in the tank 2I are returned to the boiler by means of a pipe, reversible pump 33 and pipe 34, hereinafter'more fully explained. The pump 33 is driven by a reversible electric motor 35 which receives electrical power from a generator 36. The generator is driven by a gas motor 31 which is powered from a vapor-line 38 tapped into the main line I6 coming from the boiler. Another line 39 tapped into the mainline furnishes gas for driving another' vapor motor-40 connected to the pump 28. The exhaust lines 41 and 42, respectively, of said vapor motors, are connected to'a pipe 43 leading to the intake line 44 of an air condenser 45. Q Said air condenser comprises a pair of vertical manifold pipes 46 and 41 across which there is connected a plurality of horizontally disposed .S- shaped tubes 48. The pipe 46 is the inlet manifoldand it receives the vapor to'be condensed. The vapor passes through the pipes 48, becomes condensed by the cold ambient atmosphere and collects in the outlet manifold 41 from. which it, is returned to the boiler I4 through pipe 49, pump 5D andpipesSI and 34. The pump 50 is driven by a third gas motor 52 receiving gasfrom a line 53 coming off one of the main lines I5 or I6 and exhausting into the line 44 through pipe 54. p To start the engine when it is cold or frozen, heat is supplied to the boiler I4 by means of blow torches or other suitable means. This causes the heat exchange i uid in the boiler to vaporize. 'I'he vapors *pass throughiipipesifi ;a:nd;.ll; mani fold coil'l'3, pipe 21 andinto the tank'zl' where they are condensed. The condensate collects and. becomes available for return to the boiler l4 when" the pump 33 starts to Iunction.

However, as, heat,

these motors. This causes the pump 28 to. be op.-v erated thereby efiecting ascirculation of the'liquid in the cooling jacket of the engine through the pipes- 2 23? At the same timethe' electrical-gen e'rato'r 36. is 'f urnishing energy "to' the motcr-35 for"driving tliepump 33aiid"thereby return the condensate-to theboiler: As this ope'ration'con tinues', heat is supplied to the-cooling system: of the engine; thereoywausing its necessary parts to become marmforstarting; J

hen the engine parts havebec'ome sufficiently warm to permit starting the engine: iti's started and the boiler"is 'no longer heated? consequence of'the"starting' oftl're engine; hotf'exhaust' gases from the engine passaroundtlie coil 1 3and also ath'er'mostatfit which controls'a reversing.

switch 56 on the; eiectr'ic motor""3 5. Reversing the motor 35causes'the pump'33to reverse also,

The normal .op'eration'of the engine jcauses'fthe coming System; become. hot and part of this heat is" dissipated" to the? heat" exchange fluid as the liquid of the cooling. system passes ithrough the pipes-.22.' In 'oth'eri'word's; the functionpfthe' tank 2 is reversed; inst'ad ofactlh'g as 'a. means actsas apreheater. foriheatiiigithe'heatleiichangei of the engine, and: creating a higlifgas pressure";-

This gas flows into thepipe ld'and from. thence to-tlie three vapor motors 31; lliffand '5'Tb'y. means of the lines 38, f 39".and53 respectively. Addi: tional vapor motors may beincluded'at any. point forauxiliaryneedsr H Theflelectrical generator 3'ST'may'fb'e of. a size to generatean excess of power over that neededy. them'oto'r 3'5';.Whicli eXc'ess'Would beiav'ailable for operating other auxiliary elct'ricalunitsi From the above description itmay .beseen that by. the-use-of this. invention a frozen or very cold engine maybe warmed to a temperatureinec'es sary for starting and byftheuseof'tliesame'sys tun; partially" reversed;'a' portion of the'w'aste heat" generated by the normal operation. of the engine" can bej'c'onverte'd to useful work'; It is to"beunderstoodthatthejhe'ati'exchange' fiuidusedi'iri the system should "be one whichi's.

normallyaliquid; and not aga's orsolid'y at the atmospheric temperature and pressure; or"-th'e ranges" of" atmospheric temperatures and pres"-- sures to be encountered in"any particular case? Having thus described thisinventiontl claim: 1 Incombina'tionwithan internalcombustion engine having a-liquid*cooling jacket; a heat eir change unit comprising a tank; tubesinsaid tank; means for circulating liquid from"sa;idjacket through said tubes and backintothe jacket,

means for passing a heat exchange fluid around said tubes, said last mentioned means including at least one condenser fore changing said fluid from a gaseous state to aliquid state" and at least one heater for changing said fluid from a liquid state to a gaseous state.

' 2:. In combination .with an internal combustion exchange. fluid around said tubes, said last men- 'tioned'ineans including a closed piping system containing at least one condenser for changing said mud from -a gaseous' state'to a liquid state and a*coil"in saidmanifoldi 3; In combination with aninternal combustion engineihaving-a; liquid coolingja'cketi ajlieat ex= changc'unit comprising a tank, tubesin said tank;- means, including a pump; for circulating liquid" from said jacket through said tubes" and back into the jacket, means for passingaJheat ex c'hangefluid around" said tubes; saidiastinientioned meansincludingiat least: one condenser for-changing said fluid from a gaseous" state toa' liquid state and at leastoneoh'eater'i'or changing said fluid from a liquidstate toa gaseousst'at'e; a gas motor'for driving said pump', andmeans for passing said fluidjin f a gaseous state through said'ga's motor. 4. In combination with an: internal combustion engine havin-g'a liquidcbbling jacket; a heat 8X change unit comprising a tank;',tubes insaid tank;

-' means for circulating liquid from. said. jacket through-said tubes and. backyinto' the jacket, means for-passing? a h'e'ati' exchangefluid around saidtubes; said last" mentionedj means .rincluding a closed piping. system..c0n,tainiiig atileastjo'ne',

pump, one condenser for changinglsa'id fluidffrom a gaseousstate to a liduidistat'e anda. heater. for changing saidiIfiuid..from. -arliquidi'state to. a gaseous state, .a. gas motorjor. drivinglsaid pump, and means fora passing saidfiuid in aigaseous. state through said gas ,motor.

5. In combinationwithan internal combustion engine having a liquid cooling jacket. and. an=exhaust manifold, aheat exchange. unitj comprising atank, tubes in.said"tank,.means forJcircur lating' liquid from saidjacketl through, sa idLtiibes andv backinto. thejacket, means for passing a heat exch'ange" fiuid. arou'nd".said tubes; said" last mentioned means'gincludingif a closed piping system containing. a condenser for changing said fluidffrom a, gaseous st'a'te'toja; liquid state; heat"- Number Name Date.

1249;64'4: Lukasz'eWski .D'e'c; 11', 191.7 1,613,347 Ermatiriger Jail. 4, 1927 1,637596 Turner" Aug. 2, 192'?v 1,835,225 Bordeaux Nov; 1, 1932 1,985,636 Foss Dec. 25,1934 

